DeWitt Dental Blog

Premier Dentistry for Denver, Cherry Creek & Englewood, CO

Black hairy tongue. The name alone is fairly awful, and the condition it describes, at least visually, lives up to the name. But what, exactly, is black hairy tongue?

Projecting from the tip, sides, and top of your tongue are lingual papillae. These papillae have taste buds at their tip, enabling you to experience all five known tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Typically flesh-colored, lingual papillae are essentially unnoticeable under nearly all circumstances.

Just like all cells in your body, papillae are designed to grow, serve their function, and die off to allow new growth. Lingual papillae shed once their purpose has been served but, just like cells elsewhere in the body, they do not always do what they're supposed to do. When lingual papillae continue to grow, they can reach 15x their normal size, producing the look of hair on the tongue.

It is the papillae that comprise the “hairy” part of black hairy tongue. But what makes them change color?

Food

Drinks

Bacteria

Yeast

Black hairy tongue is somewhat of a misnomer: sometimes the color changes caused by foods and beverages, bacterial growth and yeast overpopulation are more greenish or yellow in color. Other colors, such as brown, red, and even purple are not impossible, but any lasting change in the color and texture of the papillae will fall under the same black hairy tongue umbrella.

Highly visible, black hairy tongue can result in issues with self-esteem and confidence. And it can last for months or even years. Accompanying the unsettling appearance of a discolored tongue, this condition may also result in:

Chronic bad breath

Glossopyrosis (burning sensation)

Gagging

A metallic taste in the mouth

Frequent nausea

A tickling sensation in the mouth

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or if your tongue has taken on a new and unsettling color, please call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 to schedule a consultation today. Located in Cherry Creek, we serve all surrounding Metro Denver communities.

How is Black Hairy Tongue Treated?

Black hairy tongue is almost entirely caused by lifestyle choices. While more common in men, some of the leading causes of this embarrassing condition are:

Tobacco use

A poor oral hygiene routine

Dehydration

Excessive consumption of coffee or tea

Excessive consumption of red wine

Using medications containing bismuth

Using a mouthwash containing peroxide, witch hazel, or menthol

Using a mouthwash with peroxide, witch hazel, menthol, or alcohol can also damage the bonding that holds restorations, such as one-day-dental-crowns, in place. If you are a fan of mouthwash, it is a good idea to discuss which type is best for your oral hygiene needs with one of the experienced dentists at our Cherry Creek office. We can help guide you to the mouthwash that will be the most beneficial and the least harmful to your overall oral health.

In addition to lifestyle choices, black hairy tongue may be linked to:

Being HIV positive

Antibiotic use

Radiation therapy

Chronic dry mouth

When black hairy tongue is linked to these issues, there may not be much that can be done about it. However, improving your daily oral care can go a long way in reducing the problem.

If you are suffering from black hairy tongue, we can help you determine some of the root causes during your next visit. Once identified, we can begin to work on changing behaviors that may be contributing to your condition.

Can Black Hairy Tongue be Treated?

The best defense against black hairy tongue is a healthy oral hygiene routine. This should include:

Brushing your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste after every meal and snack

Flossing both morning and night

Visiting our Cherry Creek office every six months for cleanings and examinations

Routine cleanings and examinations are one of the most effective ways to treat black hairy tongue as well. However, a thorough removal of yeast, bacteria, and discoloration may require more than at-home and professional cleanings.

You can help reduce your risks of developing black hairy tongue by drinking plenty of water throughout the day and by watching those habits that contribute to tongue discoloration.

If you smoke, quit immediately. There is literally nothing good that can come from that habit. Smoking increases risks for oral cancer 6x over. It also increases risks for gum disease, tooth decay, irreversible tooth discoloration, and persistently stubborn halitosis. April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and a great time to consider quitting this useless and dangerous habit.

If you drink a lot of dark beverages, consider reducing your intake or drinking through a straw. Drinking dark beverages through a straw can also help reduce the risks acidic beverages pose to tooth enamel and may be an effective measure against severe tooth staining.

There is some evidence that eating a diet high in roughage is good for scraping bacteria and stain from the papillae. A diet high in roughage is likely high in many other nutrients as well and will serve to strengthen the entire body including the teeth and gums if maintained.

A tongue scraper may also be a good idea if you struggle with black hairy tongue. This ancient Ayurvedic practice can gently remove debris from the top of the tongue and has even been shown to reduce volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth, which can help reduce halitosis. Tongue scrapers can be found in most grocery and drug stores.

If you have black hairy tongue, we can discuss all possible methods of dealing with it during your next visit to our office.

Is Black Hairy Tongue a Dental Emergency?

Because it poses no threat to the health of your teeth and gums, black hairy tongue is not a dental emergency, but it can be terribly embarrassing. We will make every effort to get you in as soon as possible when you call our office with this condition. If it is noticed during your routine examinations, we can discuss treatment during regularly scheduled visits as well.

To learn how our Cherry Creek dentists can help with black hairy tongue and other oral health and beauty concerns, call 303-321-5656 and schedule an appointment today.

Our teeth are remarkably strong. Under ideal circumstances, brushing and flossing as recommended and visiting the dentist every six months for cleanings would be all that was required to maintain a strong and healthy smile. But we don’t live under ideal circumstances – and many people will face tooth wear despite their best efforts.

One of the leading causes of enamel erosion is improper brushing technique. Aggressive brushing, using a medium-bristled toothbrush, and using abrasive toothpaste can all lead to premature tooth wear and increase risks for sensitivity, cavities, infection, and tooth loss. In these cases, switching up your routine can be incredibly beneficial. Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush, a nonabrasive toothpaste, and brush with less intensity to reduce the risks of accidentally damaging teeth while trying to care for them.

Aggressive brushing is easy to stop. So too is the consumption of sodas, sports drinks, and fruit juices – all of which are directly linked to premature enamel erosion. Drinking these beverages through a straw can help minimize damage but avoiding them completely is always the safest bet.

Other causes of enamel erosion include:

Tooth grinding – also known as bruxism, tooth grinding can wear down enamel and make teeth easier to chip, crack, and brake

Bulimia – frequent vomiting will rapidly erode enamel, resulting in teeth that are brittle and almost translucent

Aging – as we age, even normal functions like biting and chewing can begin to wear teeth down

Of course, you can’t do anything about aging, but you can take steps to reduce your active contributions to rapid enamel erosion. Stress reduction is a great way to deal with bruxism. So too are the professional teeth grinding treatments offered by our Cherry Creek dentists.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, we cannot encourage you strongly enough to begin working immediately with both a physician and nutritionist. The Eating Disorder Foundation and EDCare (formerly the Eating Disorder Center of Denver) offer a number of resources for people struggling with bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders. These disorders are manageable and, with proper help, can be beaten. Once that’s happened, we can step in and restore those teeth that frequent vomiting and nutrient deficiencies have damaged.

Restoring Damaged Teeth

One of the easiest ways to address teeth that have become worn down is same day dental crowns. These are milled in our office and placed during a single office visit, allowing you to leave your appointment with a customized, natural-looking, and durable restoration designed to produce immediate benefits.

Dental bonding and porcelain veneers may also be considered to restore eroded teeth. These options will not cover a tooth in the same way as a CEREC dental crown, but they can strengthen and beautify teeth that have become worn down. The best way to learn which options are right for your smile is through a one-on-one consultation with Dr. DeWitt or Dr. Scott.

To schedule your appointment with one of our Denver cosmetic dentists, please call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 today. Located in Cherry Creek, we serve the entire Metro Denver area as well as those communities nestled in the Foothills and located along the I-25 Corridor.

The risk for Bruxism, more commonly known as tooth grinding, may increase under stressful situations. Unconscious tooth grinding can occur as a stress response, even while you sleep. Similarly, frustration, anger, and anxiety increase the likelihood of tooth grinding, particularly in people whose personality type is more energetic, frenetic, or competitive.

Heredity – bruxism may be more common among individuals with a family history of the condition

Caffeine and nicotine – stimulants, including those found in tea, coffee, soda, and tobacco, increase risks for tooth grinding

Alcohol and narcotics – alcohol and illicit drugs can increase risks for bruxism, particularly during sleep

Psychiatric medications – some antidepressants have been linked to bruxism

The Mayo Clinic also lists a host of medical conditions that may increase risks for grinding teeth. Among those are:

Parkinson's disease

ADHD

GERD

Dementia

Sleep apnea

If you notice a propensity towards jaw clenching or tooth grinding as you go through your day, you may be doing untold damage to your smile. The experienced dentists at our Cherry Creek office are specially equipped to treat bruxism and welcome an opportunity to meet with you, assess your condition, and help you find a solution that protects and restores comfort to your smile.

What are the Symptoms of Bruxism?

In addition to a noticeable grinding of the teeth, individuals with bruxism may develop symptoms such as:

Irregular, uneven, and premature tooth wear

Tooth enamel that is chipped or cracked without trauma

Increased tooth pain and sensitivity

Loose or shifting teeth

Bruxism is also a key contributor to TMJ, a neuromuscular condition related to jaw alignment. As such, some of the symptoms of bruxism are similar to those of TMJ. These include:

Chronic headache

Jaw and generalized facial pain

Earache without the presence of infection

Neck, shoulder, and back pain

Bruxism may cause sleep disruptions, increasing daytime fatigue along with risks for the emotional and physical complications caused by exhaustion. For these reasons alone, seeking treatment for tooth grinding should be considered an important step in maintaining your overall health and wellness.

How is Bruxism Treated?

Bruxism often occurs during sleep, at times when you cannot exercise any control over your physical responses. This makes a nightguard one of the most effective treatments for tooth grinding. Our dentists customize these oral appliances for optimal comfort, allowing them to prevent tooth grinding without impacting sleep.

Treating damage that has already occurred may require a service such as dental bonding or crowns. We offer same day dental crowns, manufactured with advanced CEREC technology, enabling us to perform fast and appealing restorations for damaged teeth without sacrificing quality or durability.

Of course, your behavior also plays a role in your tooth grinding. Stress reduction and healthy living can play a significant role in your physical responses, including bruxism, and can be incredibly complementary to your tooth grinding treatment. During your initial consultation, we would be happy to discuss this with you in greater detail.

Do you struggle with teeth grinding? Call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 to schedule a consultation with one of our dentists today. Located in Cherry Creek, we provide bruxism treatment for men and women living throughout the Metro Denver area, including Aurora, Highlands Ranch, and Centennial.

CEREC crowns are the fastest dental crown option available today. But not just fast, CEREC technology allows dental crowns to be custom-fitted to your smile, producing restorations that are shaped, sized, and colored exactly like the teeth they are protecting, enabling these same-day crowns to look and feel just like your natural teeth.

If you are in need of a dental crown, give us a call at 303-321-5656 to schedule a consultation at our Cherry Creek office and learn how CEREC technology can restore your smile to perfect in just one office visit.

What is CEREC?

CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) is a technology that allows customized dental restorations, such as crowns and inlays and onlays, to be designed, crafted, and produced during a single office visit. In the past, these types of restorations would require multiple visits for tooth preparation, modeling, and fitting of crowns. This is especially problematic for patients experiencing a dental emergency, but can be equally frustrating for patients who simply need a tooth-colored restoration to protect and strengthen their smiles.

With CEREC technology, our Cherry Creek dentists can produce realistic and durable restorations in a fraction of the time needed for those produced by a third-party. Cutting out the middle-man saves you time and money, but it also ensures that every aspect of your treatment is overseen by our trusted cosmetic dentists and experienced staff, providing you the comfort of knowing the dentist who designed your restoration will be involved in both its creation and placement as well.

The CEREC procedure contains five steps:

Imaging – using an intraoral camera, one of our dentists will take detailed scans of your teeth and gums

Modeling – images from the intraoral camera are sent to proprietary software that renders them into a 3D model

Build-up – working with the 3D model, restorations are built-up virtually, to create a completely digital model for the milling machine

Milling – using the built-up model to collect measurements, the milling machine will craft a precise restoration out of ceramic or zirconium

Placement – after its creation, your crown or restoration will be placed and secured, enabling you to leave our office with a fully restored smile

The milling machine we use for same day crowns produces restorations that are visually complementary to adjacent teeth. The materials used for CEREC restorations are durable and reliable as well. Taken care of properly and your CEREC crowns should continue to offer strength and beauty for several years.

CEREC Restorations and Durability

In clinical studies, CEREC restorations have lived up to the same expectations as those milled off-site. In fact, a report from the Journal of the American Dental Association found that, for a large majority of patients, CEREC restorations have a life expectancy of 10 years or more. The main concern with both CEREC and traditional restorations is margin wear, but according to the JADA, this rarely leads to complete failure of the crown.

You can help keep your same day crowns strong and attractive by taking proper care of them. This includes:

Using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Medium bristled toothbrushes are not good under any circumstances. They can remove enamel and scratch all types of restorations. It is recommended that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush even if you do not have crowns

Using a non-abrasive toothpaste. Unless your teeth are stained, you probably don’t need to use an abrasive toothpaste. If you have restorations, you should avoid this type of toothpaste altogether

Not chewing ice or hard candy. Biting hard things can chip, crack, or break even the strongest of dental restorations

Avoiding mouthwash with alcohol. Some mouthwashes can weaken dental bonding. If you have restorations, it is best to simply use a non-astringent mouthwash

When you come to DeWitt Dental Associates for CEREC restorations or emergency dental services, we hope you will choose to make us your general dentists as well. In these cases, we can monitor the health and adhesion of your same day restorations during your routine visits for cleanings and examinations. If issues with your restorations are present during these visits, we can make adjustments or replacements to help ensure continuous strength and beauty for your smile.

More Than Crowns

The most popular CEREC restorations are dental crowns. These may be necessary when teeth are:

Chipped, cracked, or broken

Severely decayed

Infected

Same day dental crowns can also be used to create dental bridges or to restore dental implants for patients with missing teeth.

While CEREC cannot create porcelain veneers, ceramic restorations are a possibility. However, our cosmetic dentists will likely recommend veneers created off-site for optimal strength and beauty.

At our Cherry Creek office, we use CEREC primarily for same-day dental crowns. However, if there is a quick restoration that could benefit your smile, we may recommend CEREC to help save you time and money. This can be discussed as appropriate during your normally scheduled visits to our office or provided as an option during an emergency dental visit.

Why Choose DeWitt Dental Associates

At DeWitt Dental Associates, we believe in providing a comfortable and quality experience for everyone who walks through our doors. We are staffed by caring and highly trained dental professionals and our dentists have decades of combined experience helping patients achieve all of their oral health and beauty goals.

We don’t view you as just another patient. We view you as a unique individual, deserving of personalized treatment and focused care. Our reviews speak to the level of service we offer and many patients have submitted testimonials that attest to our quality care and advanced dental services. If you live in the Metro Denver area and are looking for a dentist who offers same-day restorations in addition to a full range of general, cosmetic, and restorative services, we encourage you to call our office today and schedule your next appointment.

To schedule an appointment, please call 303-321-5656 today. DeWitt Dental Associates is located in the office complex at East 1st Avenue and Cook Street in Cherry Creek. We welcome patients living in Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Englewood, and all surrounding communities.

There are many cosmetic dentistry treatments that can be used alone or in combination to produce a straight, strong, bright, and attractive smile. But how can you tell which cosmetic treatment is right for you?

The SlideShare below provides basic information on 7 of the most popular cosmetic dentistry treatments at our Cherry Creek office. The best way to learn which of these is right for you is through a one-on-one consultation where one of our cosmetic dentists can listen to your concerns, evaluate your teeth and gums, and guide you towards the solutions most likely to produce the exceptional results you deserve.

If you live in the Metro Denver area and are looking for a cosmetic dentist, please call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help.

Dental emergencies, such as teeth being knocked loose or out, trauma resulting in cracked or broken teeth, abscess beneath a tooth, sudden swelling around the jaw, or significant tooth pain often demand immediate attention. Unfortunately, treatment for dental emergencies is not always fast. In fact, under some circumstances, you may have to wait for weeks and make multiple visits to the dentist to complete treatment for an emergency dental situation.

The dentists at the Cherry Creek office of DeWitt Dental Associates work to minimize both the time you spend in our office and the time you wait for completed services following dental emergencies. We offer a number of same-day restorations, including dental crowns, that can be created and placed during a single office visit, enabling us to quickly protect your teeth from further damage without sacrificing quality or aesthetics. If you are facing a dental emergency, give us a call at 303-321-5656 to schedule an appointment right away.

CEREC Restorations

CEREC technology enables our dentists to create high quality, aesthetically pleasing restorations during a single office visit. With CEREC, we can produce tooth-colored dental crowns, inlays, onlays, dental bridges, and veneers in minutes, allowing us to complete your treatment on the same day you come in for service.

When it comes to dental emergencies, CEREC technology helps us meet both the immediate and long-term needs of the patient. Same-day dental crowns and similar restorations are milled on-site from a single block of zirconium or ceramics, making them durable and capable of performing all normal tooth functions. What’s more, these restorations are shaded, shaped, and contoured to look and feel just like the teeth they will be adjacent to, allowing them to protect and perfect your smile without requiring multiple visits for preparations and placement. If you are experiencing a dental emergency in the Metro Denver area, please call our office right away to schedule an appointment and learn how we can help.

Should You Call 911?

DeWitt Dental Associates is open from 9 am – 5 pm, Monday through Thursday. We are open from 9 am – 2 pm on Friday. We are closed on Saturday and Sunday. We make every effort to schedule emergency appointments on the day they occur, but we are not a 24/7 dental center and do not offer after-hour services.

If your dental emergency involves significant blood loss or is part of a larger medical emergency, the best course of action is to call 911. Emergency services for medical issues or severe dental trauma require swift and often comprehensive treatments. Our office is equipped to handle dental trauma only and should not be relied upon for more extensive or involved issues.

If your dental emergency is severe enough to demand direct attention right away, we recommend you contact the closest hospital for faster service.

The dentists at DeWitt Dental Associates will make every effort to see you as quickly as possible after your dental emergency. If you have suffered dental trauma and would like to schedule an emergency dental appointment, call us at 303-321-5656 and we will make every effort to schedule you in right away.

The Holidays are officially upon us. Let the photos commence. Unless, of course, you are shy about your smile due to unsightly and embarrassing stains. In that case, photos may be the last thing you want to smile for. Who wants an eternal reminder of stained teeth? No one. That’s who.

The good news is, there is still plenty of time to come to our Cherry Creek office for teeth whitening before gatherings of family and friends really kick into high-gear at the end of November. Our experienced and caring cosmetic dentists welcome an opportunity to meet with you for a one-on-one consultation where we can evaluate your level of staining, discuss all of your options, and begin a plan that can perfect your smile in the shortest amount of time possible.

We offer a range of teeth whitening options including take-home kits that can lighten teeth within a few short weeks. If you prefer more immediate results, in-office whitening is available as well. With this option, we lighten your teeth several shades in the course of a single visit – typically within one hour – to produce a brilliantly white smile. Dental bonding can also be completed over the course of one visit and may be a better fit for patients with deep or below-the-surface stains.

If your staining is severe or accompanied by other cosmetic imperfections, you may want to consider porcelain veneers for the perfection of your smile. The placement of veneers can usually be completed within three weeks, though longer is possible, making now the best time to call our office for an evaluation if you want the most attractive smile by month’s end.

If you are unhappy with your smile and are interested in learning about your tooth whitening options, call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 to schedule a free consultation today. Located near Cherry Creek, our cosmetic dentists serve all Metro Denver communities.

If your teeth have stains above the enamel – like those caused by coffee and tea – a simple, in-office teeth whitening service is likely enough to restore a bright and white appearance. Our Cherry Creek cosmetic dentists also offer take-home teeth whitening kits that are very effective at removing topical stains. These may be better for patients who prefer tooth whitening on their own schedule and in the comfort of their own homes. However, neither in-office nor take-home whitening will do much for deeper or more pronounced stains. In fact, these topical bleaching solutions can make matters much, much worse.

Intrinsic Tooth Stains

Deep stains, also known as intrinsic stains, are underneath the enamel. Some topical bleaches, including the in-office teeth whitening offered at DeWitt Dental Associates, can address minor intrinsic stains, but lightening the enamel around these stains may also serve to enhance them. When your tooth stains are underneath the enamel, the better option is often one that covers the tooth completely – and dental bonding offers an affordable and reliable way to do just that.

Dental bonding is applied to the surface of teeth in layers. Each layer is hardened with a special light prior to the next being applied. Each layer is also shaded to match adjacent teeth in color – teeth that can be whitened with a topical solution prior to your dental bonding application.

Once the final layer of dental bonding has been applied, the resin is polished and shaped to perfectly mimic your natural tooth, leaving only the bright and stain-free veneer visible. Inexpensive but not “cheap,” tooth bonding will continue to provide a bright and beautiful appearance for several years, so long as you care for them properly.

Maintaining Dental Bonding Results

The best way to care for dental bonding is to treat it like your natural tooth enamel, Brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush and nonabrasive toothpaste after every meal and floss at least once a day to keep your teeth and your dental bonding attractive and clean. And make sure you continue to visit our Cherry Creek dentists every six months for cleanings and examinations. During these visits we will evaluate the appearance of your dental bonding and any other restorations you may have, making adjustments and corrections as needed. Catching minor issues and providing swift treatment is one of the best ways to keep your smile bright and beautiful for years to come.

Is Dental Bonding Right for You?

In addition to tooth staining, dental bonding can be used for:

Rebuilding teeth that are broken

Protecting teeth that are chipped or cracked

Strengthening teeth with significant decay or large fillings

Closing small gaps in between teeth

Normalizing tooth shapes and sizes

Dental bonding is a cost-effective, durable, and reliable way to address tooth staining and other common cosmetic issues. Requiring very little tooth preparation and able to be completed during a single office visit, tooth bonding is also less invasive and much faster than some cosmetic dentistry options that may offer similar results. During your initial consultation, we can discuss all of your tooth whitening options to help you determine which will be best for your needs.

If you live in Denver or surrounding communities and are looking for a solution for your stained teeth, call DeWitt Dental Associates at 303-321-5656 to schedule a consultation today. We serve Littleton, Englewood, Highlands Ranch, and nearby areas of Colorado from our Cherry Creek location.

With Halloween rapidly approaching, it’s time, once again, to think about the kind of candy you’ll be handing out, the kind of candy you’ll be stealing from your children, and the kind of candy you’ll want to avoid in both situations. Remember, eating candy, while not ideal for your teeth, is not something you have to avoid entirely for optimal oral health. However, choosing the right kinds of candy (and avoiding the most damaging) is essential for the long-term health and beauty of your smile.

So, what are the worst types of candy you can eat on Halloween?

1.Gummy and chewy candy. Gummy bears, gummy worms, taffy, and similar treats can get stuck in between the cusps of teeth where their lingering presence allows the slow release of sugar. What’s more, these sticky treats may be strong enough to pull loose dental fillings and other restorations, making them an especially bad idea for people whose teeth have been treated for trauma or decay.

2.Caramels and sticky candy. Like chewy candy, sticky sweets can damage, loosen, or remove restorations. Many of these treats are even strong enough to damage dental bridges and to loosen crowns placed over dental implants.

3.Hard candy. Not only can hard candy, when bit, chip, crack or break teeth, when allowed to dissolve, the sugars in these candies stay in contact with teeth for extended periods of time, allowing acid erosion and decay to take hold.

4.Citrus and sour candy. Adding acid to sugar doubles the impact citrus and sour candies have on the teeth. Because many of these candies are also gummies, that impact is extended, making these candies among the worst offenders for tooth decay and enamel erosion.

5.“Healthy candy.” That’s right, dried fruits, fruit leather, organic gummies, and similarly marketed candy alternatives are just as bad as their competitors. Sugar and acid are present in these sticky candies just like in the others. Worse yet, things like “naturally sweetened” and “sweetened with fruit juice” are meaningless marketing terms that can confuse and mislead consumers into thinking they’re making smarter candy choices. Here’s the bottom line: sugar is sugar. Your teeth do not differentiate between fruit sugar, honey, cane sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. All of it damages teeth in the same way, at the same rate.

Chocolates and non-sticky candies are the best bet at Halloween, but how and when you eat them will play a role in your oral health. Choose one time daily to indulge rather than spreading consumption out over the course of the day. And make sure you brush and floss after eating candy to remove any remaining sugars and acids from the teeth – but wait for at least 20 minutes after eating candy to allow your saliva to remove some of the acids and reharden your enamel.

Should you eat candy at Halloween? That’s a personal decision. If you choose to, do it smart, avoid the biggest problem candies, and be mindful of changes in tooth sensitivity or restoration security. If you end up with a dental emergency get in touch with the Cherry Creek dentist at DeWitt Dental Associates right away. And above all else, have a safe, fun and enjoyable Halloween.

If you are overdue for a dental cleaning and examination, please call our Cherry Creek office at 303-321-5656 today. We welcome patients from Littleton, Englewood, Highlands Ranch, and all Metro Denver communities and suburbs.

At DeWitt Dental Associates, our dentists and team want you to be able to enjoy a relaxing experience each time you visit our office. If dental care makes you anxious or uncomfortable, you may avoid going to your routine dental appointments. If this sounds like you, you may be a great candidate for sedation dentistry. Schedule a consult with one of our dentists to learn more and to ask any questions you have on your mind, such as:

Is Sedation Dentistry Right for Me?

During your consultation, our dentists will help you decide if our relaxing dental services are right for you. Many of our sedation dentistry patients seek these services because of the following issues:

Which Type is Right for Me?

IV sedation. We are licensed by the State of Colorado to provide minimal to moderate sedation using IV medication. This level of sedation allows you to remain awake but deeply relaxed.

Nitrous oxide. Also known as "laughing gas," nitrous oxide is inhaled through a mask over your nose. You'll feel relaxed and maybe slightly sleepy. As soon as the mask is removed, the effects of the gas will quickly dissipate, so you'll be able to drive yourself home afterward.

The dentists at DeWitt Dental Associates can help you decide the type and level of sedation that will allow you to comfortably receive dental care.

What are the Side Effects or Risks?

Today's sedation dental techniques are safer and more effective than ever before, but you should still discuss all the possible side effects with our dentists. We are extensively experienced in the methods of sedation we offer, and we want to make sure it will be optimally beneficial for you before recommending it.

To schedule a consultation to learn more about sedation dentistry, please call DeWitt Dental Associates in Denver at 303-321-5656.

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Cosmetic dentist Dr. DeWitt has posted this website about cosmetic dentistry treatments for informational purposes only. The content within these pages should not be perceived as formal dental advice, nor does the understanding constitute a formal relationship with Dr. DeWitt. Contact our office to schedule a consultation for formal advice. We are happy to assist patients in Denver, Cherry Creek, and surrounding areas.This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.